1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to digital time displays that are useful for general purpose timekeeping, i.e., the timekeeping needs and practices of ordinary individuals carrying out their usual day-to-day activities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Digital time displays of the type referred to above are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,264,966; 4,271,497; 4,483,628, and copending application Ser. No. 734,979, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Typically, these prior disclosures teach the display of hour digits at the center of a display field, minutes after a present hour to the right of present hours, minutes before a next hour to the left of next hours and, optionally, seconds below the hour digits, cycling either between zero and thirty during all minutes or from zero to fifty nine and fifty nine to zero during elapsed and remaining minutes, respectively.
Ser. No. 734,979 specifically discloses the display of oppositely oriented hockey stick-shaped lines below the elapsed and remaining minutes displays, and the omission of zero minute digits during the subminute periods immediately before a next hour and immediately after a present hour. Prototype wrist watches have been manufactured incorporating this system. In these prototypes, during the last fifty nine seconds before a next hour, there is displayed only the next hour digits, seconds below them counting down from fifty nine to zero, a hockey stick line to the left of and pointing downwardly toward the hour digits, and with the space above this line, where remaining minutes are usually displayed, being completely blank. Similarly, during the first fifty nine seconds after a present hour, the prototypes display only the digits defining each such hour, seconds below them counting up from zero to fifty nine, and a hockey stick line to the right of and pointing upwardly away from the hour digits, again with complete blanking of the space above the line where elapsed minutes are subsequently displayed.
Actual experience with these prototypes has demonstrated that the total blanking of the spaces above the hockey stick lines, during the subminute periods immediately before a next hour and immediately after a present hour, may be perceived as undesirable due to being anomalous and/or an insufficient indication of the time during those periods. In particular, the absence of minute digits during such subminute periods requires the viewer to rely almost wholly on the hockey stick lines to understand generally whether the present time is just before the next hour or just after a present hour, a reading which is unique to these periods and not involved at any other time. Moreover, the absence of any time information above the hockey stick lines, where minutes are displayed at all other times, can cause concern or doubt on the part of viewers over the operability or efficacy of the displays during these periods. Elimination of these drawbacks and potential problems would improve the utility and appeal of the previous displays.